Steelers backup Charlie Batch to speak at W&J

WASHINGTON, Pa.—Charlie Batch's days as a backup quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers may be numbered, but he's still in demand elsewhere in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Washington & Jefferson College says Batch will be the keynote speaker at the school's 214th commencement ceremony on May 18.

Batch was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but has played for the Steelers since 2002. That appears likely to change, however, since the Steelers signed free agent Bruce Gradkowski as Ben Roethlisberger's top backup, then picked Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones in last week's NFL draft.

Batch is well-known for his charitable efforts in Pittsburgh and Homestead, the neighboring steel mill town where he grew up. The Best of the Batch Foundation was formed in 1999 to provide programs for underprivileged youth.